The effect of travel time information on day-to-day route choice behaviour: evidence from a real-world experiment

Abstract

Route choice behaviour in response to travel information receives increasing attention within travel behaviour research. This study contributes to the literature by generating insights into the effect of travel information on day-to-day route choice behaviour based on largely explorative analyses using route choice data obtained from a real-world experiment. As such, our study complements confirmatory stated preference and laboratory experiments. We find that the provision of travel information leads to a decline in switching propensity and a higher probability that the shortest route is chosen. Furthermore, we identified six behavioural profiles, varying from switch-averse to switch-prone. Travel time information seems to influence travellers’ propensity to shift from one profile to another across different OD-pairs. Our results contribute to understanding of the effect of travel information on route choice behaviour, and as such help inform the design of effective information-based demand management measures.